Lentil and Vegetable Soup (Printable version)

Hearty soup with lentils, vegetables, and warming spices for a nourishing meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils

01 - 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
09 - 1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
10 - 4 cups vegetable broth
11 - 2 cups water
12 - 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped

→ Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
15 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
18 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Garnishes

19 - Chopped fresh parsley
20 - Lemon wedges

# How to Prepare:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic; sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
02 - Add diced carrots, celery, zucchini, and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are completely tender.
06 - Stir in chopped spinach or kale and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Remove and discard bay leaf.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's naturally packed with plant-based protein, so you'll feel genuinely satisfied without any meat required.
  • The spice blend is subtle enough to be comforting but interesting enough to keep you coming back for another spoonful.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables you have lingering in the fridge and it somehow always works.
02 -
  • If you add the greens too early, they'll turn into an unappetizing dark mush—wait until the very end so they stay bright and fresh.
  • The soup tastes noticeably better the next day once everything has time to get to know each other, so don't hesitate to make it ahead.
03 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the lentils—it removes any dust and helps them cook more evenly without foaming up.
  • Taste as you go, especially with salt, since vegetable broths vary wildly in sodium and you want to control the final flavor yourself.
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